West Waterford Trails - Lismore Heritage Centre

SHANNON
GALWAY
CAHIR
BELFAST
DUBLIN
LIMERICK
WATERFORD ROSSLARE
LISMORE
CORK
6
1 2
LISMORE
MELLERAY
CAPPOQUIN
5
10
8 TALLOW
9
DUNGARVAN
3
VILLIERSTOWN
7
For more information contact:
Lismore Heritage Centre
(t) 353 58 54975
(e) info@lismoreheritage.ie
(w) www.discoverlismore.com
Opening Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 9.30am - 5.30pm
Sat. 10am - 5.pm April -September
Sun. Noon - 5pm April -September
4
ARDMORE
From Dublin - 2.5hrs
Take M7 South - M8 to Cork
N24 at Cahir- R668 - Clogheen
Clogheen - Lismore
From Cork - 1hr
Take N8 Dublin
Exit N8 Watergrasshill
R639 - Rathcormack
Exit R369 for R626 Conna
Conna - Tallow - Lismore
HELVIC
WATERFORD CITY
Lady Louisa’s Walk
Lismore
Round Hill Walk
Lismore
Dromana Walk
Villierstown
Cliff Walk
Ardmore
Glenshelane Wood
Cappoquin 5
Directions to Lismore
From Limerick - 1.5hr
N24 to Tipperary Town
N24 Waterford - Bansha -
Cahir - R668 - Clogheen
Lismore.
From Waterford - 1hr
Take N25 Cork
Approaching Dungarvan
Take N72 Killarney / Lismore
Cappoquin-Lismore.
Dublin to Waterford - 2hr
Via N7 - M9 - N25
DUBLIN
Via
N25 - M9 - N7
WEST WATERFORD WALKS
1
2
3
4
The Towers Walk
Ballysaggartmore
The Cunnigar
An Rinn
Curraheen Walk
Tallow
Ramp Walk
Tallow
Colligan Walk
Dungarvan
6
7
8
9
10
DISCOVER
West
Waterford
Trails
10 scenic walks in WestWaterford.
Lismore Heritage Centre

D I S C O V E R
West Waterford
Trails
There is no better way to discover West
Waterford’s woodlands, coast, river
banks and cliffs than on foot. West
Waterford Trails consists of 10 specially
chosen walks. Beloved to locals, the
walks are of moderate duration and
generally suitable for all. Get out and
about and see what you will discover.
Lady Louisa’s Walk, Lismore.
Round Hill Walk, Lismore.
Dromana Walk, Villierstown.
Cliff Walk, Ardmore.
Glenshelane Walk, Cappoquin.
The Towers Walk, Ballysaggartmore.
The Cunnigar, Rinn.
Curraheen Walk, Tallow.
Ramp Walk, Tallow.
Colligan Walk, Dungarvan.
Lady Louisa’s Walk
Directions:
From the Heritage Centre, follow the
N72, past the spout to the start of the
bridge. Lady Louisa’s walk is located
on the right just before the bridge.
Parking is available.
Points of Interest:
• Lady Louisa was the daughter of the
7th Duke of Devonshire, ancestor of
the current owner of Lismore Castle,
the 12th Duke of Devonshire.
Lismore
Castle
WC
N72 CORK
Cappoquin
& Waterford
Lismore Heritage Centre
CALL TO OUR SHOP OR
St. Carthage’s Cathedral
L I S M O R E
• The Spout is a natural spring well
that provided water for the estate
workers in the castle until the early
part of the nineteenth century.
• Lady Louisa’s walk is primarily a
woodland walk along the river bank.
One can expect to find woodland
plants such as beech, ash, ferns,
spindle tree, holly and ivy as well as
wood sorrel, golden saxifrage and
wild garlic but to name a few.
School
Start Finish
R. Blackwater
Distance:
2km
Duration:
30 mins

Round Hill Walk
Directions:
From Lismore, follow the N72 to the
start of the bridge. The Riverside walk
is located on the right just before the
bridge. Parking is available. Follow
Lady Louisa’s walk until you reach the
wrought iron gate. Instead of turning
right up the hill, continue along the
river bank.
Points of Interest:
•A typical riverside environment,
home to herons, swans, mallards, water
hens, snipe, tern, kingfisher and
many more water birds.
• The River Blackwater is renowned for
its salmon fishing and fishing stands
and stiles may be noted along the riverbank
Lismore
Castle
Cahir / Dublin
St. Carthage’s
Cathedral
Lismore Heritage Centre
Cappoquin / Waterford
L I S M O R E
• A stand of mature pine trees on top
of a mound will indicate that you are
approaching the famous Round Hill,
a great mound or earthwork covering
two or three acres in extent. The first
monastic settlement in Lismore was
founded by St. Carthage at Round Hill
adjacent to the river, where he built a
‘Lios’, an Irish term used to describe a
fort built of earth. Legend has it that
an old woman whom Carthage met,
told him that he would be founder of a
‘Lios Mor’ meaning great fort in Irish.
• The monks built small beehive huts
on the banks of the river and the place
extended to become a great university
city and a place of holiness.
Start Finish
Out Back ( Take care on Road )
Short Walk
Distance:
5km
Out and Back.
Duration:
1 Hour
Dromana Walk V i l l i e r s t o w n
Directions:
From Cappoquin, follow the N72 and
take the 1st right, sign posted to Villierstown.
The first stage, known as
‘Sailors Walk’ commences at Villierstown
Quay following the banks of
the River Blackwater. The 2nd stage,
known as ‘Dromana Well Walk’ begins
at the Dromana Forest car park following
the forest trail.
Points of Interest:
• The R. Blackwater is tidal at Villierstown
and as such is a habitat for many
water birds including Heron, Egret,
Cormorant, gulls and ducks. Other
species such as Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail
and Kingfisher can be occasionally
seen and heard.
To Cappoquin
Wells View
Point
R. Blackwater
• Dromana Wood forms part of the Villiers-Stuart
Estate. The ‘Sailors Rock’ is
a cliff face inside the wood that is said
to hold the wishes of many a sailor who
passed by it along the R. Blackwater.
Deer, fox, red squirrel and badger are
in evidence in Dromana wood as well
as uncommon bird species such as the
Peregrine Falcon, Hobby and Osprey.
• A short distance away you will find
the Hindu – Gothic Bridge built in the
19th Century by Henry Villiers Stuart,
inspired by the Brighton Pavilion. It
was built as a temporary structure to
welcome home a honeymoon couple
who were so taken with it that they
had it made permanent.
Start & Finish
Dromana Wells Walk
Sailors Rock Walk
Villierstown
Sailors Rock View
Distance:
Dromana 2km
Sailors 1.5k
Duration:
1.5 Hours

Cliff Walk
Directions:
From Lismore, take the N72 to Tallow.
Drive straight through Tallow town
and follow the R634 to Youghal. From
Youghal, follow the N25 sign posted
Waterford. Turn right onto the R673
sign posted to Ardmore. Once in Ardmore
park at the beach car park and
take the middle road past the Cliff
House Hotel. The walk begins just after
the hotel car park – follow the road
to where it becomes a path leading
down to old ruins.
Points of Interest:
• St. Declan’s well & Church, Saint Declan
founded a seminary in Ardmore
circa 416. The holy well served as a Baptistery
to early Christian Missionaries.
To Cork
Start
To Dungarvan
Finish
Ardmore
A R D M O R E
• The coastguard station 1867 – taken
over and burnt down by republicans on
independence. The castle – built as the
same time as the coast guard station,
both abandoned in 1921. The spectacular
wreck of the crane ship ‘Sampson’.
• The cliff walk at Ardmore has an
amazingly diverse range of flora, comprising
of 113 species of wild flower,
grasses and fern including orchids,
vetchs, wild thyme and blue scabious.
• The Ardmore Cliff Walk is also a birdwatchers
paradise and is home to a
host of Coastal birds. Other birds such
as Rock Pipits, Pheasant, Kestrel, Peregrine
Falcons occupy the habitat.
Cliff House Hotel
Distance:
5km Cliff top
Village loop.
Duration:
1 Hour
Glenshelane Walk
Directions:
From Cappoquin travel the Clogheen
/ Mellary Road R669 for a distance of
1 km until you come to a grotto, veer
right and the car park entrance is a
short distance after crossing Bealick
Bridge.
Points of Interest:
• Gleann Siothláin – the Glen of the
Fairies, was owned by the Keane family
of Cappoquin – Molly Keane, a well
known novelist lived nearby in Bellville
House.
• Glenshelane is now a Coillte managed
forest; tree Species to be seen
on this site include Douglas fir, Sitka
CAPPOQUIN
Start
Finish
Loop Walks
R. Monavugga
C A P P O Q U I N
spruce, Norway spruce, Japanese
larch, Lodge pole pine, Silver fir, Scots
pine, Western Red cedar, Lawson cypress
and broad leaves such as Spanish
chestnut, beech, oak, ash, poplar,
sycamore, birch and alder.
• The battle between the Earls of Ormonde
and the Earls of Desmond was
fought at Affane in 1565 1km from the
picnic site
• The Glenshelane River is an important
salmon nursery stream for the R.
Blackwater; salmon can be seen fighting
their way upstream to their spawning
area north of the car park.
Linear Walk
Grotto
Mount
Melleray
Monastery
Distance:
3 loops and
1 linear walk.
2.5km-10.7km

Enjoy the trails responsibly and respectfully:
be safe, be mindful of Ireland’s changeable
weather and follow the principles of ‘Leave
No Trace’.
• Plan Ahead and Prepare
• Be Considerate of Others
• Respect Farm Animals and Wildlife
• Travel on Durable Ground
• Leave What You Find
• Dispose of Waste Properly
• Minimise the Effects of Fire
Why not make notes
while on your Walk.
Designed by Red Heaven Design - www.redheavendesign.com
The Towers Walk
Directions:
Take the route R666 Lismore–Ballyduff
-Fermoy Road sign-posted left
over the bridge past Lismore Castle.
Continue for approximately 3.5km to
the Towers entrance on the right. Ample
parking is provided.
Points of interest:
• Ballysaggartmore Towers are imposing
gothic style gate lodges built
in 1850 by Arthur Kiely Usher for his
wife.
• The gate lodge and towers provide a
fairy tale setting which reflects the
sad period in Irish history where extravagance
and starvation lived side
by side.
• A diverse range of tree species to be
noted including, ash, oak, sycamore,
horse chestnut, spruce, fir as well as
shrubs of holly, hazel and bramble.
• The main avenue is planted with a
row of tall shaking poplars and rhododendron,
interspersed by pheasant
berry, snow berry, holly to name but a
few.
• Wooden benches are provided along
the walk, where you can take few moments
to relax while listening to the
sounds of nature around you.
B A L LY S A G G A R T M O R E
Folly
Ballyduff
Towers
Walk
Start Finish
Lismore
Gate Lodge
Lismore
Distance:
2km looped
forest walk.
Duration:
30 Min.

Cunnigar Walk
Directions:
Leave Dungarvan heading west on the
N25 towards Cork. Turn left on the
R674 signposted for An Rinn (Ring).
Follow the signs to ‘An Coinigéar’ to
the right.
Points of Interest:
• The Cunnigar is a long sandy spit that
has formed across the mouth of Dungarvan
Bay.
• The Cunnigar is one of the best winter
bird watching locations in Dungarvan
Dungravan
N25
R. Brickey
Start Finish
A N R I N N
Bay in terms of diversity and numbers.
It is the top site in Waterford for rare
waders such as Little Ringed Plover &
American Golden Plover.
• The sheltered bay and the presence of
eel grass in the shallow waters on the
landward side are conducive to large
numbers of grazing wildfowl such as
Brent Geese and Wigeon
• The marshy west side of the bank is
good for teal, snipe, herons and cormorants.
An Rinn
Distance:
6km Out & Back
Beach & Dunes
Duration:
1.5 Hours
Curraheen Walk
TA L L O W
Directions:
From Lismore, follow the N72 to Tallow.
The Bride View bar is located on
the left of Tallow Bridge. Parking is
available. The walk commences at the
Bride View bar – follow the minor road
parallel to the N72, this will lead you
up the hill towards the entrance to Mc-
Donalds Fruit Farm on the right.
Points of Interest:
• This walk offers fantastic views of the
Bride valley and the landscape to the
south, taking in the rolling hills and
forests in the distance.
To Lismore
Tallow
Bride View
Bar & Restaurant
R. Bride
Start & Finish at The Bride View Bar & Restaurant
• The walk offers a mixture of the cultivated
and the wild with apple trees
gracing the hillside and the river environment
below.
• The barely-visible remnants of the
quay in Tallow serve as a reminder of
the once thriving business carried out
in days of yore on this stretch of the
River Bride.
Distance:
5km road loop
Duration:
1 Hour

Ramp WalkTA
L L O W
Directions:
From Lismore, take the N72 to Tallow.
The ramp walk commences at Tallow
creamery on the right. The first segment
of the walk brings one along the
River Bride, taking in Lisfinney Castle
to the North. The circuit then brings
the walker back to West Street and
down the Main Street of the town back
to the old creamery entrance.
Points of Interest:
• The River Bride is famous for its excellent
stocks of brown trout and coarse
fish of Bream, Perch, Eel and Roach.
• Lisfinney Castle, now in ruins was
built in the sixteenth century by the
Earls of Desmond (also of Dromana)
Start
Finish
and acquired by Walter Raleigh as
was the town, for his part in crushing
the second Desmond Rebellion.
Lisfinney was sold by Raleigh to Sir
Richard Boyle of Lismore Castle who
commenced Iron Smelting in Tallow -
hence the Irish name Tulach an Iarainn
(Hill of Iron). This industry continued
until all the surrounding forests were
consumed for charcoal.
• Tallow is probably best known for its
horse fair, one of the oldest in Ireland.
Held at the beginning of September
every year, the horse fair attracts national
and international buyers and
sellers as well as throngs of visitors.
TALLOW
To Lismore
Distance:
3km loop
Duration:
40 Mins.
Colligan Walk
Directions:
Colligan is located 8km north of
Dungarvan on the Clonmel Road.
From Lismore, take the N72 toward
Dungarvan. Take the left exit at the
fork in the road at the Master McGrath
monument. Travel a further 4km to the
next junction and exit right to Kilbrien
road. Travel 2km on this road to the
wood entrance.
Points of Interest:
• The town land of Colligan - An Cuilligeáin
- means hazel abounding place
Colligan wood lies in a beautiful scenic
valley through which the River Colligan
flows and enters the sea at Dungarvan
Bay. There are steep wooded
glens on each side of the river. The
area still carries some remnants of the
old woodland oaks.
• There are a variety of forest walks
along the riverside and through the
mixed woodland of conifers and broad
leaves; easy short walks can be enjoyed
on either side of the picnic area whereas
longer and more strenuous walks
can be had by taking in the loop walk
from the picnic site.
• Many trees around the picnic site and
along the walks have been labelled for
easy identification. The fertile soil
here is derived from old red sandstone.
The Colligan River is a salmon spawn-
D U N G A R VA N
ing river with sea trout also to be seen.
Norway spruce, Western hemlock,
Japanese larch, Sitka spruce, oak, ash,
beech, maple and birch are the main
tree species here.
• Because of the many clearings and
deciduous trees, an excellent selection
of woodland flora is present such
as wood sorrel, wood rush, heather,
blueberry and bilberry.
GREENANNE
WALK
Start Finish
Distance:
5km looped
forest walk
Duration:
1.5 Hours